Poly(arylene sulfide) polymers are generally known in the art and have been found useful due to their high chemical and thermal resistance. Processes for the preparation of such poly(arylene sulfide) polymers have been disclosed in the art. In a typical preparation, at least one dihaloaromatic compound, a sulfur source, and a polar organic compound are contacted under polymerization conditions. Often certain molecular weight enhancing agents are also added during the polymerization. At the termination of the polymerization, the desirable product is recovered from the polar organic compound, unconsumed reactants and by-product inorganic salts and any water which may be present. Some recovery processes for poly(arylene sulfide) polymers additionally separate desirable higher molecular weight product from the less desirable low molecular weight poly(arylene sulfide) and cyclic and linear oligomers. Occasionally, a recovered poly(arylene sulfide) polymer is subjected to a purification process to remove lower molecular weight portions, oligomers and other impurities from the more desirable higher molecular weight portions.
During commercial production, poly(arylene sulfide) polymer is occasionally produced which is not within the specifications for the desired product. During preparation and/or recovery, polymer product can become contaminated by coming into contact with compounds which are not intended to be a part of the particular product.
In all of the above-mentioned situations, undesired materials must be disposed of in some manner, for example, by placing such material in a landfill or blending such material with other product to render it usable. It would be economically and environmentally desirable to have a process using at least a portion of such undesirable or waste materials so that some of the material need not be disposed of.